Rousseau completely, contains many ideas concerning natural training that are suggestive of him. In this study of the nature of children, the book makes some advance upon the Rousselian doctrine by finding that they are especially interested in motion and noise, although Basedow would have shocked Rousseau by being so much under the control of tradition as to suggest using these interests in the teaching of Latin. Later, Basedow, together with Campe, Salzmann, and others of his followers, also produced a series of popular story books especially adapted to the character, interests, and needs of children. These works are all largely filled with Popular story didactics, moralizing, religiosity, and scraps of scientific children. information. The best known of them is Robinson der Jüngere (Robinson Crusoe Junior), which was published by Campe in 1779. It seems to have been suggested by Rousseau's recommendation of Robinson Crusoe as a text-book, and in turn a generation later it became the model for Der Schweizerische Robinson (The Swiss Family Robinson) of Wyss, which has been so popular with children in America and elsewhere. books for Course and Methods of the Philanthropinum.-Eight years before this, however, Prince Leopold of Dessau had been induced to allow Basedow to found there a model school called the 'Philanthropinum,' which should embody that reformer's ideas. Leopold granted him a generous salary, and three years later gave him an equip- Salary, equipment of buildings, grounds, and endowment. At first Basedow had but three assistants, but later the number was considerably increased. The staff then included teachers, several very able men, such as Campe, formerly chaplain at Potsdam, and Salzmann, who had been a professor ment, and pupils. Universal edu cation, but tions. Industrial training at Erfurt. The underlying principle of the Philanthropinum was 'everything according to nature.' The natural instincts and interests of the children were only to be directed and not altogether suppressed. They were to be trained as children and not as adults, and the methods of learning were to be adapted to their stage of mentality. That all of the customary fashion and unnaturalness might be eliminated, the boys were plainly dressed and their hair cut short. While universal education was believed in, and rich social distinc- and poor alike were to be trained, the traditional idea still obtained that the natural education of the one class was for social activity and leadership, and of the other for teaching. Consequently, the wealthy boys were to spend six hours in school and two in manual labor, while those from families of small means labored six hours and studied two. Every one, however, was taught handicrafts, carpentry, turning, planing, and threshing, as suggested in the third book of the Emile, and there were also physical exercises and games for all. On the intellectual side, while Latin was not neglected, considerable attention was paid to the vernacular and French. In keeping with the Elementarwerk, Basedow planned a and wide ob- wide objective and practical course very similar to that jective course. suggested by Comenius. It was to give some account of man, including bits of anthropology, anatomy, and physiology; of brute creation, especially the uses of domestic animals and their relation to industry; of trees and plants with their growth, culture, and products; of minerals and chemicals; of mathematical and physical instruments; and of trades, history, and commerce. He afterward admitted that he had overestimated the amount of content that was possible for a child, and greatly abridged the material. games. methods in The most striking characteristic of the school, however, was its recognition of child interests and the consequently improved methods. Languages were taught by Languages taught by con speaking and then by reading, and grammar was not versation and brought in until late in the course. Facility in Latin was acquired through conversation, games, pictures, drawing, acting plays, and reading on practical and interesting subjects (Fig. 26). His instruction in arithmetic, geometry, Progressive geography, physics, nature study, and history was fully other subjects as progressive as that in languages, and, while continuing Rousseau's suggestions, seems to anticipate much of the 'object teaching' of Pestalozzi. Arithmetic was taught by mental methods, geometry by drawing figures accurately and neatly, and geography by beginning with one's home and extending out into the neighborhood, the town, the country, and the continent. tations. Influence of the Philanthropinum.-The attendance at the Philanthropinum was very small in the beginning, since the institution was regarded as an experiment, but eventually the number of pupils rose to more than fifty. Most visitors were greatly pleased with the school, Great expec especially on account of the interested and alert appearance of the pupils. Kant declared that it meant "not a slow reform, but a quick revolution," although afterward he admitted that he had been too optimistic. While it may not have served well for older pupils, it was certainly excellent in its stimulus to children under ten or twelve, who can be reached by appeals to physical pupils. activities and the senses better than by books. Basedow, however, proved temperamentally unfit to Stimulus for younger Similar insti- direct the institution. Joachim Heinrich Campe (1746– tutions of Campe, Salzmann, 1818), who first succeeded him, withdrew within a year to found a similar school at Hamburg. Institutions of the same type sprang up elsewhere, and some of them had a large influence upon education. The most striking and enduring of these schools was that established in 1784 by Christian Gotthilf Salzmann (1744-1811) at Schnepfenthal under the patronage of the royal family of SaxeGotha. The natural surroundings-mountains, valleys, lakes-were most favorable for the purpose of the institution, and much attention was given to nature study, 'lessons on things,' organized excursions, gardening, agricultural work, and care of domestic animals. Manual training, gymnastics, sports, informal moral and religious culture, and other features that anticipated later developments in education also formed part of the course. During the decade before the establishment of Salzmann's school, institutions embodying many of Basedow's ideas were also opened at Rechahn and his other and Rochow. Brandenburg estates by Baron Eberhard von Rochow (1734-1805). His schools were simply intended to improve the peasantry in their methods of farming and living, but, when this step toward universal education proved extraordinarily successful, Rochow advocated the adoption of a complete national system of schools on a nonsectarian basis. In 1793 the Philanthropinum at Dessau was closed permanently. Its teachers were scattered through Europe, and gave a great impulse to the new education. Becomes a fad, An unfortunate result of this popularity was that the Philanthropinum became a fad, and schools with this name were opened everywhere in Germany by educa but accom plished some good. |